Rodrigo Duterte used the pose throughout his election campaign last year during which he promised to use deadly force to wipe out crime and drugs.
Nick Warner, head of Australia’s Secret Intelligence Service, met with Duterte on Tuesday.

Completely inappropriate photo for the head of one our most important intelligent services to be in. https://t.co/MouXGc42WD

Rights groups say the photo undermines Australia’s criticism of his war on drugs.

But Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Warner was just responding to a request: “The Director General meets with leaders from time to time. I understand that the action, the fist bump, was not the Director General’s idea.”